


The Beginning

by topiasstark



Series: 闇と光 [1]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Androgynous male character, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, He's a Bishounen on steroids, M/M, Slow Burn, multiple mentions of his beauty, oblivious OMC, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-27 14:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20761502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topiasstark/pseuds/topiasstark
Summary: What if Asta was a God. What if he was a part of a Divine Pair, Matter and Anti Matter, Magic and Anti Magic. Cursed by angry deities as punishment for what happened 500 years ago. An event that broke many laws of nature, that belittled the power of the Gods and they seek retribution. Now the elves are making their move and the pair need to band together to fix the 500 year old mess, The Gods demand it.





	1. The Meeting

He set off to find his other half, headed towards clover kingdom where the magic knights entrance exams were being held in a week. Mereoleona bid him goodbye, wondering if he’ll make it safely to the clover kingdom and if this person will actually be there. The whole situation sounded impossible, he doesn’t even know what he looks like, just that they might look alike because they’re supposedly “made to complete each other” whatever that means, “take care boy, keep in touch and update me!!” she shouted as she waved enthusiastically. 

“I will, thank you for everything. Goodbye for now Miss Leona, I look forward to seeing you in your hometown!! Oh, and I will make sure to keep an eye out for your brother and send your regards.” With that he spent the next few days travelling to the royal realm of the clover kingdom, excited at the prospect that he might finally be meeting his destiny.

\----

He finally arrived at the Castle Town of Kikka where the magic knights entrance exam was supposed to be held, later than intended. He couldn’t help it; it was his first time exploring and there were so many distractions along the way. As soon as he stepped foot in town, he can finally sense the presence of the man he was looking for, the interference separating them weakening from their proximity. Despite the fact, it still prevented him from seeing his appearance clearly and pinpointing his exact location, so he ended up following a trail led by visions of his target. When he reached a shabby stall selling grilled purple snakes, he stopped to ask questions, “excuse me, sir, do you by any chance know where the young man who bought one of these snakes went? He most probably looks like me, around 15… What did he buy the snake for?”

Julius was shocked to see him again after years of silence “hey, how are you? It’s been a while.” The man blinked back at Julius, confused at such familiarity from a stranger, “do I know you sir?”, “it’s me, Julius! Although you probably can’t tell from my disguise haha.” The man still looked confused, “I know what you look like, I can see through your magic, but who are you?” he said matter of fact, edging closer as if to prove a point. Julius beamed, his magic obsession taking over common sense, until he realised that the man didn’t recognise him, “my mistake, if the boy is here for the entrance exam, then he’s probably at that arena over there. You can’t miss it.”

“thank you for your help, sir. Tell me, these are not sold as food, are they?” he asked, gesturing to the purple snakes, “they are not edible… did he eat it?” but before Julius could answer he was already running for the arena. He knew well enough that he’d get an explanation sooner or later.

The mages who volunteered to man the registration booth were about to pack up when someone yelled, “wait there’s one last candidate!!!”. With a sigh Charles sat back down as he saw the person in question confidently striding his way, “welcome, please hand me your grimoire and show your face for identification” he said, bored. The new arrival was wearing a simple cloak and mask that went up to the nose, his face further obscured by a hood. He was surprised when the person lowered the hood and mask to reveal an otherworldly beautiful face framed by silver-white hair. He was so entranced by the man’s face, lost in the reflective silver gaze that met him, so much so that he didn’t notice the man handing him a grimoire conjured from thin air made entirely of mana. “alright, candidate number 513, please head inside and wait for further instructions” he announced in a daze.

“thank you.” He left the registration booth and ran inside, feeling more excited than he’s ever been. He could feel his presence, he knew for sure he was there and they were so close. It didn’t take long for him to locate the one he was looking for; he knew they would be swarmed by anti-birds. He saw a boy running frantically, trying to escape from the aerial assault. He gave chase trying to talk to him until he finally caught up, “excuse me sir, I have been looking for you, I am your brother”.


	2. Entrance Exam

_I am your brother_

Words Asta has dreamed to hear for so long. Don’t get him wrong, he loves his family at the church, but deep down, everyone has that desire for a blood connection. Overwhelmed by the bird attack and this stranger’s confession, Asta couldn’t see the man built like a brick wall standing right in front of him.

He caught up to Asta and saw an imposing man threatening his brother’s life, “excuse me sir, please let go of the boy in your hand, he is mine” his request gaining an air of authority from his stern expression and formality of his speech.

Yami was in the middle of threatening the little runt that not only bumped into but also dared to insult him. He was taken aback not by the ballsy request but by the achingly familiar man in front of him, he’d recognize that beautiful face anywhere. He stayed silent, waiting for the other man to recognize him, but was instead shocked when he didn’t. He could see it in those deep eyes, eyes that held no recognition, only contempt and… pain. He was even more surprised at the feelings the realisation brought, anger, sadness, disappointment fighting to take control. When he refocused, Finral was there nagging him and he used that as an excuse to let go and leave. While walking away, he gave the man a second glance, even more dejected when his focus was completely on the runt. He thought he might be mistaken, that this person was not who he wanted him to be. If he was, then he hasn’t aged at all, and he knew that was completely possible with his abilities. He would just have to test him to make sure and the entrance exam would be a perfect excuse.

“are you alright? Honestly, who does that brute think he is carelessly threatening someone like that. Never mind that now, I am… relieved to finally meet you, brother!” he went on, overcome with joy. Asta was still recovering from the threat on his life but put everything aside to address a more pressing issue, “wait what do you mean brother? Are you really?” he was beginning to gain hope at the possibility that he might have a blood relative, “I was sent to a church out in the boonies, where were you? How do I know you’re for real?”

“I have been living alone, well mostly alone, in the wild forest near the country border. But we can talk about that later, brother can you not feel it, feel me. Now that we have met, the spell separating us was lifted. I can feel you, hear you clearly, concentrate brother, we are twins, bound by a bond stronger than any magic, we are two but one half of a whole.” Asta was doubtful but did as told for just a chance this might be true. He closed his eyes and tried sensing something… he felt it! A flicker of something, a presence, a consciousness, a voice, “can you hear me?” He opened his eyes in shock, he heard a voice clearly in his mind, but more than that he can feel his very being and, in a sense, he felt complete. He smiled wide and before he could say more someone interrupted, “fuh-hah, you okay? Must’ve been rough having Captain Yami of the Black Bulls in your face like that. Ah, I’m Sekke, Sekke Bronzazza. Nice to meet ya.”

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Asta. Oh, that reminds me, we’re twins right, so just call me Asta” he smiled to his new found brother, who replied enthusiastically “my pleasure!”. Before any more introductions could be made, Asta’s attention was shifted to the Magic Knights Captains that just entered the arena. Sekke was giving quite the commentary on each of the captains, but he tuned it out in favour of the strikingly familiar man that walked in among the captains. He thought how much this man, Fuegoleon Sekke said, resembled his dear Miss Leona, from the bright flame-like hair to his fierce facial features.

From the “thrones” two people noticed his gaze, the receiver of which merely shrugged it off as another enthusiastic admirer, Yami however wasn’t so nonchalant. He saw in those eyes something he didn’t earlier, recognition, and he was mildly annoyed that it was directed at Fuegoleon. He couldn’t do anything about it at the moment seeing as William already casted the broom spell to begin testing, that little show off.

\---

“What’s the meaning of this… no matter how much one might be lacking in talent, they should at least float” Fuegoleon said, addressing Asta’s poor attempt at flying. The Captains all observed him, “and the person next to him isn’t even trying, what kind of effort is he showing us, come to think of it, I can barely sense any magic between those two” remarked the Purple Orcas vice-captain.

“No” Yami knew better than to underestimate this guy, “look closely, he’s floating and in perfect control of that broom, and the little runt might not have that much magic, if he’s even got any, but the other one…he’s covering himself but I can feel a steady current of mana coming from him when I really focus, it’s faint, it’s like he’s a part of the natural mana… weird” the other people present were startled not because Yami once again made an astute observation, but because it’s true. Now that it’s been pointed out they can’t help but notice what Yami said, although it still required immense concentration because his technique was seamless.

He was so absorbed in showering Asta with adoration, he didn’t notice that all eyes were on them. Which was why he didn’t hesitate to come closer and kissed him on the cheek asking if he wanted a ride on his broom. He felt confident that amongst the commotion, nobody would notice if he took Asta for a joyride, a quick one he assured, quick enough to return before anyone suspected a thing. All the captains however, were astounded that the broom stayed afloat without contact and even more when he steered it fluidly and without wavering while carrying the two of them, going at an impressive speed.

It seemed like he had a pension for ignoring orders, which became more evident in the subsequent exams. Instead of blasting the wall for the magical ability exam, he disintegrated it and turned it into a sculpture of Asta. He shot heart shapes on the target sheets for the magical control exam, created living copies of Asta for magical creations and the seed that was supposed to sprout a rose plant during the developmental magic exam turned into a bouquet of flowers he lovingly presented to Asta.

At this point the captains have all realised how incredibly talented this man was. Some were amused at his obvious attempts to woo the short guy and some were annoyed, but all of them were worried at how powerful he must be to do all that he did.

He was still doting on Asta when he was interrupted by the words he dreaded to hear “you’ll be battling!” He grabbed hold of Asta’s hand, giving it a light squeeze to seek assurance, “what’s the matter?” Asta asked. “I do not wish to battle. I have lived my life as a pacifist. I have no qualms about fights in general, in fact I can defend myself if I must, you can fight and I will gladly support you, but to strike someone by my own magic is not something I am fond of” he admitted, hoping to gain some comfort from his brother. “well then, don’t. wait until everyone’s had a go and then the captains’ll figure sumthin out” Asta reassured him, beaming. He thought it was admirable that someone born as his opposite, with all the magic in the world would take his powers seriously and not abuse it. He might have just met guy but he thought this man was amazing and would make an excellent addition to the magic knights and an even better brother.

\---

He could hear Sekke’s taunts through his shared connection with Asta and was furious. He was about to punish Sekke when Asta brushed his mockery off and beat him unconscious. He grew to love his brother even more after seeing how kind and forgiving he was. As soon as Asta was done, he jumped him and showered him with praises and kisses, going on about how honourable he was. In the commotion of the next battle, hoping nobody would notice, he knew he had to talk to the captains to explain his situation and he had just the excuse in the form of a letter from Miss Leona herself. But first, he needed to have a word with that jerk Sekke. He stopped the healers from taking the unconscious boy away and with a flick of a hand over his body, Sekke jerked upright in bouts of coughs, his attention immediately drawn to the person standing over him with a menacing glare, “you arrogant bastard…”

The captains were once again focused on this mysterious candidate, who, after astonishingly healing a downed candidate, grabbed his neck and lifted him with ease. He proceeded to intimidate him without even raising his voice, his warning coming across loud and clear through the bug one of them planted, “your arrogance is unsightly and underserving of wielding magic, though it seems that your behaviour is a norm in these parts. However, if I catch you behaving out of line once more, your connection to mana will be severed”. Satisfied, he let go of the boy and turned his attention to the captains, specifically Fuegoleon, smiled and disappeared. It happened in a split second, his presence completely vanished along with any traces of mana, there wasn’t even any to indicate he even used a spell. This went beyond fast, it’s like he melted into the air. Before they had the chance to recover and search for him, he had appeared next to Fuegoleon, silently, still unnoticed, that is, except for Yami.


	3. A mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He meets (sort of) the captains and we find out a little about our mysterious character.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this would be so much better (I hope) if you read them in character voices, like imagine Yami saying shit in his nonchalant deadpan/high strung anger (because he only has 2 moods lol).

Yami was lost just as the others. However, the moment he reappeared beside Fuegoleon, despite it being unreadable, so did his Ki. As he turned his head to the captain on his right, the stranger, realising that someone noticed his appearance, turned his head to look at him as well, eyes full of caution and intrigue at the only person able to follow his movements. “woah, creepy… are you a stalker, are you here to touch mister fire cat over there…” Yami said, bringing everyone’s startled expressions to the man standing beside the Crimson Lions Captain. After the initial shock everyone went on guard, a few including Fuegoleon already poised to attack, “What is your purpose? Speak, stranger.”

Looking away from Yami, he calmly replied the Crimson Lions King with questions of his own, “are you by any chance…” he took out the letter and read the name addressed on the envelope, “Fuebboy?” his voice flat, completely unfazed at the attacks pointed at him. “And would you be related to my dear Miss Leona, tall woman, hair the shape and shade of a bright red fire, eyes burning with passion… intense spirit and a kind heart that burns as hot as her flames.” he described dreamily. Fuegoleon looked at the man now leaning on the parapet overlooking the exam site facing him, his thoughts connecting the description to his unruly sister, “are you talking about my sister, Mereoleona? How do you know her?”. The man let out a small laugh, his face still unreadable, betraying no emotions he felt inside, “you must think it mad but she is a frequent visitor to the forest I live in. We grew quite close and she would tell me these wonderful stories about her family, her cute little brothers. Honestly, I feel like I know you already. Which is amusing considering you probably have no idea who I am.” He was cut off by a blushing Fuegoleon, not wanting the other captains, who were obviously listening in, to hear any more embarrassing details about his life, “Waaaiiiit! If I’m understanding you correctly, then you must be the mage she says she lives with in the forest. You’re real!? I thought she went crazy living out there… did you really taught her Mana Zone???”

Though he might not look it, he was starting to get annoyed at the attacks aimed at him. With a sigh and a flick of his hand, all of them were gone like someone extinguishing a candle, earning him more shocked glances. “No, although I may have pointed her in the right direction, she was amazingly talented to begin with, just needed a push.” “why do you talk like that? Sounds like you swallowed a dictionary” Leopold asked. “well in a way I did! You see I just learned the language today, so pardon me if I sound a bit stiff. You must be little Leo! The stories I have heard about you” he said cheerily not noticing the blush on Leopold’s face. “which reminds me, Miss Leona sends her regards, she misses you terribly and will be back in a month or so… and this letter is from her” he said handing it over. “I have to be honest; this is not just a friendly visit; I have an ulterior motive. But please, read the letter first… it might be important” and so he did, with Leopold looking over his shoulder.

_“First of all, no I don’t miss you, just wanted to get his sympathy. I told you he’s real, IDIOT! I know how you look at me when I talk about him. I oughtta come back just to beat the snot outta both of you. HAHAHAHAHA. Jokes aside, the kid who gave you this letter is dear to me so please help him however you can, he’s helped me with so many things. He came to Kikka to find someone, his “other half” apparently. Assuming he actually found this guy and they’re taking the entrance exam, you should know he doesn’t fight. Not that he can’t but because of personal reasons, he won’t. With his abilities he wouldn’t have to though, I’ve seen it first hand, he’s very capable of beating people without resorting to violence._ _Anyway, help him with whatever he needs, hell if he needs a place to stay you give him one! I better not hear him complaining when I come back, I’m warning you._

_Regards,_

_Mereoleona Vermilion”_

Fuegoleon folded the letter and cleared his throat, “thank you for delivering it”, “please, it was no trouble. Although I thought it would be harder, but who knew you three looked so much alike, how adorable”, “now, now, enough of that. Did you find who you’re looking for?” he asked, steering away the conversation to less embarrassing territory. “oh? She mentioned that did she, probably asked you to help me… what a wonderful woman I really should send her flowers later. Yes, I found him, my missing piece” gesturing fondly at Asta. “Which brings me to my ulterior motive, sounds devious when I say it like that” getting more serious he continued, “I am… mostly a pacifist. Hence, I would like to request an exemption from battling, please”. Resisting the urge to bring up the fact that he choked someone just moments before, Fuegoleon responded, “I don’t think we need any more demonstrations; we’ve seen quite a lot during the exams”, “oh my, you were watching me? Who else, how much did you see?”, “I think we all did… pretty much everything from the start. It was very entertaining, but you need to listen to orders more” he chastised. “This is embarrassing, I was sure everyone would be too busy to spare a glance at two kids. I assure you I am perfectly capable of executing orders. Today was a special occasion.”

“what magic do you use?” someone cut in. Confused, he replied, “what do you mean? I use normal magic.”

“He means your elemental affinity, what type of magic do you use” William supplied. “I do not have one” he replied carefully. Yami, not buying the bullshit countered easily, “well how many do you have?”. He turned to the muscular man and eyed him, intrigued at his instincts, a bit reluctant to answer, he sighed, “sharp man. Suffice to say I am not tied to any elements” dismissing the topic. Fuegoleon became curious, “may I see your grimoire?”, “I do not own one”, “how’d you get in?”, “I made one” and he conjured the book again. “I should say that I can use a grimoire if I want. I can do this without permission but I find it rather rude” he turned his attention to the captains one by one, listing their magic powers, stopping at Charlotte.

“Pardon me miss, would you mind if I see your grimoire?” he asked Charlotte, “you are intriguing, for a man. Very well I shall entertain your request.” She took out her grimoire and with a flick of his finger it flew to his side ready to be used, “quite the nasty curse you have here, partially broken by… him?” he gave her a questioning look, wondering what would possess her to fall for that brute. Charlotte, too stunned to say anything quickly looked away feigning ignorance, “how long do you plan on living with it though… must be quite taxing. And your roses turned blue… how fascinating” he took out a briar sword, one of Charlotte’s signature spells. “Although still beautiful, I much prefer the more lustrous red” waving a hand over the sword, the roses turned into a deep red. “and this is how I can make use of a grimoire” he smiled, unaware of how impossible it was to use someone else’s grimoire.

“you shouldn’t be able to do that! A grimoire can only be used by its owner” an outraged outcry from one of those present, “I just did, but worry not. I almost never do that”, “almost?”, “I usually do it with Leona, but instead of taking it we share her grimoire and amplify her output”, “and you can do this with anyone”, “sure, why not”. “I have one more request”, “what is it?”, “show me mana zone”. At that he shifted uncomfortably, “mana zone is making use of natural mana and directing it to your will. Leona told me that the amount of mana I gave out was too dense, and the forest turned into a Grand Magic Zone as she called it. I taught her Mana Zone so she could comfortably stay in the forest. Having left the forest, I feed it to my surroundings merging with natural mana to avoid causing discomfort”. Seeing realisation set into their faces he continued, “I am constantly using mana zone. This whole arena is under my influence, I can even concentrate it here” he made no visible moves but the surrounding mana coalesced around the captains, making the area dense with it. It was too much and some of them had trouble breathing until he redistributed everything.

“I have done what you requested; can I be exempted from battling?” he was worried this was taking too long. Fuegoleon however, had other plans, “I should have led with this but, I was gonna invite you to join my squad. If you’d have us, The Crimson Lions squad welcomes you”. The others erupted into a flurry of disagreement, nobody wanting to hand over a potential asset to one squad, until William spoke up “It seems we are all in agreement that he should go through the same offer process as everyone else. However, if nobody objects, you are allowed exemption from battling”.

“well, thank you so much” he bowed and reached over to touch Fuegoleon’s cheek “pardon me, but I find myself unable to see you as anything other than the charming young boys from the stories. Leona was right, your righteousness is endearing” he chuckled at the blush creeping onto the man’s face. “and you” he turned to William, looking deep into his eyes, his voice low “who do you have with you there?”. He noticed earlier on that this man was sharing his body with another soul. William calmly answered, “this is one of my trusted officers, you’ll be working together should you join my squad” addressing the man behind him. “I was not talking about him” he paused at the imperceptible change in William’s body language, then broke out into a knowing smirk, “but you already knew that… interesting.” Straightening, getting ready to leave he spoke to William “take caution, one redeeming kindness does not excuse oceans full of hate, the people important to you may pay the price…” and he vanished, reappearing in the blink of an eye next to Asta, coddling him as if his meeting with the captains never happened.

\---

“This concludes the exams. Now… candidates whose numbers are called, please step forward”

“The squad captains will raise their hands if they would like you to join their squads. The candidates will decide if they would like to accept or decline, and if they are chosen by more than one captain, they may choose which squad they’d like to join.”

“But, if no one raises their hand, that candidate will not join the magic knights.”

“And you will leave immediately.”

\---

“Number 165… no offers”, their discussion from earlier came back to mind. “Asta, if I am not chosen, or we do not get the same squad, I will still follow you even without one. So I hope you welcome me!”, “Yup! Totally, I’m not gonna let you go now that I’ve found you”. Before he could comfort Asta, the brute was speaking up, taunting him about not having magic and releasing his enormous mana. He surrounded the man’s throat with invisible sharp blades of mana, ready to kill for his brother. He did say he was only mostly a pacifist, and he’d decided right then he would do anything for Asta. He was about to proceed when this ridiculous man cracked up and offered Asta a spot in his squad.

“I’m telling you that I’ll let you join the Black Bulls.” He was confused, what is this man thinking. Spewing all that nonsense and laughing it off as a joke. But he was also glad that Asta at least belonged to a squad. Now he just has to get into the same one.

“oi kid, can you call off your guard dog… no he’s more like a cat the way he clings to you…Oh, a shiro neko hahahaha” at Asta’s confused reaction he pricked himself on the mana blades and pointed to the source of it. Having been caught, hand on his hip he turned away, embarrassed, dissolving the mana blades, “hmmph”.

\---

“Number 512… no offers. Number 513 please step forward.” He hugged Asta, praying the muscled weirdo would offer him a spot. “All who wish to offer, please raise your hand” immediately 8 out of 9 hands raised, unfortunately the one he wanted was the one who didn’t. “8 offers made”, he ignored the declaration and glared at the Black Bulls captain, willing him to raise his hand. The captain matched his glare and once again unleashed his mana, not wanting to back down he responded with his own burst.

Yami still wanted to know if this was someone he once knew, and he has one more chance to find out. By clashing their mana, he can get a sense of who they were and read his usually unreadable ki, confirming if he was the one. The others in the vicinity felt even more suffocated than before, the burst of mana was too much for them to handle. Yami however, was satisfied with his perusing and broke into a grin and finally raised his hand. “Amendment, 9 offers made”, “I choose the man with the thick neck, I choose his squad.” Yami was pissed at the jab at his appearance and yelled, “I’ll kill ya brat!”. He bowed and calmly walked back to his brother, happy that they can stay together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope it didn't suck ahha


	4. Acquainted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to Hage leading to a violent confrontation. What's his name???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short because I'm erratic like that ahha

Hage, he thought about all the times he must’ve gone to the demon skull, not realising his other half was just there. A part of him mourned the time he wasted but another is looking ahead at the future memories to be made. The village seemed nice, though not wealthy they weren’t in poverty either. Again, he’s glad that at least Asta was cared for instead of having to fend for himself in the wilderness the way he did. When he got to the church a little bit away from the village square, he took in the humble exterior and imagined a younger Asta going about his life. He knocked on the church doors and waited until a pretty woman answered the door. Sister Lily was startled at first, eyes wide before she asked the visitor, “hello there, how my we help you?”, “You must be sister Lily, hello I am Asta’s brother, we found each other during the magic knights entrance exam. I wish to express my gratitude for taking care of him all these years, I am forever grateful.” “Dear god, really? Please come in, we’re just having dinner”, “I hope I am not causing any inconvenience”.

The bond he shared with Asta goes deeper than blood, they are connected in every way. He was able to stop his thoughts being broadcasted but Asta on the other hand was an open book to him. Currently he was spying on Finral’s introductions to all the Black Bulls members and supplied his own commentary on the members. He was brought back to present company when the old priest asked him how he was related to Asta, “we are brothers, identical twins to be exact”, “what!?” they said disbelieving. When they thought of Asta words that come to mind are loud, muscly, short and this man was something else, he’s the opposite, eloquent, toned body, tall and overall beautiful. “I suppose our different lifestyle caused our initially identical appearance to change, but I still see myself in him hahaha”, Sister Lily was looking at him and started noticing their similarities. It’s subtle, while his features were sharp and smooth, Asta’s were rugged and rough, but underneath it she could see the energetic boy looking back at her. “You’re right!” she exclaimed, excited. “I wonder if Asta would look more like you if he hadn’t worked himself to the bone all these years…”, she lamented out loud feeling sorry for the boy.

Suddenly, he could feel an adrenaline spike on the other side of their bond. He was surprised to find Asta being told to do push ups and break a boulder, but didn’t worry seeing how Asta was able to handle it just fine. He was on alert and stood up when this ruffian issued a challenge. “I am terribly sorry for interrupting but Asta is in trouble and I need to help him, I promise we will come back to visit when we have the time, I left a gift in your office, Father, as a small token of my gratitude. Although I assure you, no amount would be enough to repay your kindness” with a respectful bow, he rushed to Asta’s side the moment he heard the delinquent yell, “DIE!”. As the mystery man disappeared into thin air, everybody raced to the Father’s office to see this gift and was stunned at the small mountain of gold neatly stacked to the side.

\---

_oh, I’m dead_ Asta thought and just as he was about to accept his fate, a voice in his head interrupted his thoughts,

_Asta! Think! What can you do? _

_It’s fast! I can’t slice it without getting hit by the residue_, then he felt a body push up against his back, hands grabbed his arms guiding it forward.

_The blade is wide, what can you do? _

_I’ll deflect it!_

Two bodies moved as one, they swung the sword and sent the fireball back to the caster which exploded in a huge flame.

“He came” Yami said, smirking. “wait did you guys see that? Someone appeared behind that kid, or am I just that drunk”, Vanessa was unsure if what she saw was true but it didn’t seem like double vision to her. “nope, that’s our other recruit”, “what? Is he a ghost or something, he came outta nowhere”. Finral explained, “this time there were two recruits who got picked by all the captains, one chose the Golden Dawn and the other one, is the guy that just showed up. Come to think of it, both of those guys seemed close to Asta”. “what? He chose us? Why? Is he a weirdo, we are the worst Magic Knights squad, why would he pick us?” “What?! Are you complaining, huh!?” at Yami’s threatening glare everyone straightened up and went back to looking at the new recruits.

The two in question were in fact having a heated internal conversation. _Woah this sword is awesome, I knew it could cut through magic but I didn’t know it could repel it too. You got here so fast, thanks for helping me. _

_Nonsense, I merely nudged you in the right direction but it was all you, you are amazing. _

_That was close! What’s he thinking!? Was he planning to kill a new recruit? Wait, is he dead? _

_Good! How could he do such a thing, attacking a less experienced new recruit. _

_No, wait we have to help him! _

_You are too kind… fine let me._

He was still hugging Asta from behind, tightening his hold he raised one hand and with a wave the flames disappeared, leaving an angry looking Magna. “You little bastard”, “now wait a minute, you attack him for some stupid reason and now you get mad? I should have let you burn in your own flames” he was about to kill the man when he charged towards them but stopped when he burst out laughing. _Great, another crazy idiot_. He stepped back and gave the captain a curt nod, which was met with Yami’s signature dark glare, before getting lost in the joy he could see on Asta’s face as all the other members swarmed to welcomed him. He was brought back when Asta started yelling in that charming way that he does, “thanks! It’s a pleasure to work with all of you!”. “who’s the pretty princess behind you?” Magna questioned, “oh this is… hold on… I DON’T KNOW YOUR NAME!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be discouraged


	5. What's in a Name

Asta was panicking, how could he not have asked for his brother’s name. “huh, are you stupid? He was clinging onto you so much and you don’t even know his name??? hhahhahaha” Magna was amused at their new recruit but his laughter was cut short when a pair of silver eyes looked straight into his. Starlight eyes reflecting so many colours you couldn’t help but get lost in them.

“He is not to blame; I do not have a name. I have been living alone and the only company I have is a woman who visits me and we have no need for words or names”

“but we gotta call you something. Captain why don’t you name him.”

He was indifferent and he showed as much giving them a small shrug. Taking that as an agreement, Yami thought out loud, “Shiro neko!”, the first name he thought of. “Wait, no. I’d be fine calling you that but you’d still need an official name… I know, mister sparkles, let’s call you Hikari. It’s a nice name from where I came from.”

He expected a normal name from the local language. He couldn’t care less but he also wasn’t so trusting that he’d let someone give him a name from a language he didn’t know. He wasn’t about to be the butt of a joke he didn’t even understand. There was only one solution.

He looked directly into Yami’s eyes and walked closer, his steps sure, until they were face to face, well, chest to face. His hands raised, slowly but surely, placing them on either side of Yami’s cheeks. There was a stunned silence as the world anticipated what he was about to do next. Yami had a few moments to stare into those eyes before he was being kissed firmly on the lips. After the initial shock, Yami found he was enjoying it, his body moving involuntarily.

He felt rough hands on the back of his head, surprisingly gentle. One hand caressing his neck, another tangled in his already messy bun, deepening the kiss. A meaningful swipe to his lips, asking for permission, he parted them to let a curious tongue explore newfound territory. He was, in fact, doing this to gain Yami’s language skills but it took a while to find his original language after years of being unused. When he finally found it, he had acquired both the language of the Land of The Sun as well as Clover Kingdom. Putting his hands on Yami’s chest, he gently pushed away, ending their lip lock.

Yami recovered quickly, his face serious, “oo, you kissed me. Take responsibility for your actions, I leave myself in your care” bringing his hands together and giving him a respectful bow. He was thinking about what Yami meant, which was when he realised the raucous chatter had suddenly died down. Licking his lips, he faced the others and fixed his hair back into a loose bun. He gave them a questioning look, “why’s everyone so quiet huh!?” suddenly sounding suspiciously like the captain. Everyone burst into questions, talking over each other. “shut up” he said, again sounding eerily similar to the Black Bulls captain. That made everyone quiet down for a while before resuming their barrage demanding an explanation.

“SHUT UP”

This time it was Yami, and this time the silence was more permanent as Yami continued, “oi, what was that, why do you sound like me, are you mocking me? Huh?”. Back to his original accent, he answered Yami, “my word, your language use is very crude, I will have to do something about that.” He cleared his throat and resumed talking, “I’ll admit I had to dig a little deep to find what I was looking for. I’d say I got more than that.”

“TMI”, Magna shouted, receiving glares from everyone around, several jabs about his virginity. 

Then he slipped into a language Yami hadn’t heard in ages, “you’re far from home aren’t you. But I guess this has been home for a while now hasn’t it? So… Hikari. Light. And Yami is Darkness… interesting choice, are you that lazy or is this your attempt at possession? And why are you calling me a cat?”. Yami hasn’t spoken Japanese in years but the words flowed out effortlessly, “I just thought you were sparkly and that was the first thing that came to mind, if you don’t like it then find something else. And you’re like a cat the way you cling to that kid and you have white hair. But more importantly, how do you know this language?”.

Switching back he replied for the benefit of everyone present, “Kissing is the most direct way I can access someone’s language skills, and that’s exactly what I did. I don’t trust you to give me a name in a language nobody else knew, you could’ve called me weird things and I’d be none the wiser. But I’m fine with this one. You can all call me Hikari.”

“hahahahaha, you’re amusing, I like you.” Yami burst into laughter, “Come, I’ll show you your room. Magna, I leave the other one to you”.

“I’m used to sleeping outdoors… besides, I think I’d rather share a room with Asta. Astaaa, won’t you sleep with me?” his usually cold demeanour turning cutesy as he turned his attention to his brother.

“oi, did I say you could decline, huh? I don’t care what you do in your free time, but everyone gets a room, so shut up”

“can you quit with all the threats? Fine, Astaaa I’ll find you later” he went over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and was promptly grabbed by the head. Magna was amazed at how attached he was to Asta, “wow, you guys seem really close”.

“yeah, I think I love him. I’m so glad we found each other”, he said as Hikari was dragged inside still waving blissfully at him.

\---

“can you please let go of me, I can walk on my own”, after being set down Hikari righted himself and fell into step with Yami. He was thinking about several things, who was that girl he saw standing over everyone, why was there a man taking everyone’s mana living here, if he’s gonna be alright surrounded by all this craziness and wondering how to find Asta later.

Yami was silent, his mind however was replaying their last kiss. Crap, he was thinking if he overdid it. Was he too eager? How was he supposed to know it wasn’t that kind of kiss… it didn’t feel like a spell, although it did feel magical. He was grinning, his lips tingling, he can feel the ghost of those soft lips on his. His thoughts were disrupted when Hikari spoke up, “so who was that girl I saw back there, silver hair, fancy clothes. And where are you taking me?”. Huh, where was he taking him? This looked like the way back to his own room. There’s an empty room next to his so maybe he can give him that one. “the base moves around a lot so you gotta look closely where you’re going. The room’s just around the corner. That girl is the other new recruit but she’s a bit uptight. She’ll come around though. Just like you” he replied, trailing off.

“hmm, and what about the mana draining man you have holed up in here. Can’t you just tell him to stop moving the place around. I know he’s the one doing it”. So, he found out about Henry already, “Henry has a condition, he needs to take mana. This was actually his home, when I made captain, I found it abandoned with him, his parents left him here for dead. He was my first recruit. I don’t want him to stop moving the place around, it’s more fun like this”.

Maybe coming here was a mistake, everyone’s not right in some way or another. He just wanted to live with his brother, but being a magic knight, especially with these people, he probably won’t find peace. “Maybe we should leave… but Asta seems really happy. What do you think?”. Yami didn’t wanna seem too eager but he also didn’t want him to leave. “If he means a lot to you then you shouldn’t take away his happiness. Besides, life’s boring with just the two of you, here you’ll have family”

“surprisingly sappy for a guy like you”

“shut up”

“and he’s back” he chuckled, “but I can respect you and what you’re doing here”.

“and what’s that”, Yami asked, seemingly interested.

“all of your recruits spell trouble, at least that’s what everyone else says. They don’t belong and anyone else would’ve let it stay that way. But you gave them, you gave us, a home” his voice low, and they lapsed into silence until they reached the room.

“alright this is yours, do with it whatever you want. I’m next door if you need me”. They were at a reasonably sized room, dusty and bleak from disuse. He swept his hand across the room and it instantly became bright and clean. “I don’t know why you insist on giving me a room, but I guess Asta would need his privacy sometimes. Thanks.” He stripped, relieved to finally get rid of the constricting clothing and as he was down to his underwear Yami interjected, “haha I know we kissed but isn’t this a bit too fast?”.

“oh, you’re still here… you have a problem with nudity? You see, back in the forest I barely wore clothes so I don’t really get what the big deal is.”

“jeez, you can’t do that here, there are laws”

“okay… but since this is my room” and he was naked in a flash, his clothes neatly folded on the dresser. Yami was trying not to look but he was still moving around, “didn’t you bring anything with you? Clothes or something?”

“like I said, I barely wore any, Leona gave me the ones I wore today”

“hmmm, come with me, I have some that’ll fit you”

“oh, you don’t have to”

“I don’t want you running around naked, come with me or I’ll kill you”. “fine”, he finally gave in, but that didn’t mean he had to wear something now.

Sure enough, the next door opened to reveal the captain’s room, definitely much bigger, surprisingly neat and not at all what he expected. He was still looking around when Yami dropped a trunk in front of him, inside containing various robes and sashes.

“why do you have so many dresses?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're kimonos and yukatas not dresses skskskks oh Hikari

**Author's Note:**

> I've done multiple chapters of this but still kind of editing. I am my own beta. If anyone's reading this, let me know if you want to read more and I'll post new chapters. If not then I'm taking my sweet time.


End file.
